Winter's Promise
by remiparker
Summary: Bravo is sent to the mountains to retrieve an HVI, but things go downhill when nature shows just how unpredictable it can be.
1. Winter's Reign

**AN: New story time! *happy dance* I wanted to get this up and going before I go back to school. It'll be short, I'm guessing four chapters, but you all know my stories get out of hand very easily. This is slightly based on the idea of how the Army's 10th Mountain Division, a light infantry mountain unit, is actually trained for the elements in this story. I know I may not have all of my facts 100% correct with some things, but as always, I am exercising my creative license for this story. Hope you enjoy it. And it's Original Team Bravo (OTB), so no Metal or Vic.**

1: Winter's Reign

Sonny Quinn walked into the cage room with a noticeable scowl on his bearded face. The thump of his boots could be heard throughout as he all but stomped to his cage. He loudly unlocked and tossed the metal door open, before finally throwing his backpack down in the corner.

"You alright there, Sonny?" Clay Spenser is the first to speak up, though it was clear the rest of Bravo Team was thinking the same thing as they filed in.

"Peachy as apple pie." more things rattle around. Something falls and Sonny muttered a curse under his breath.

"It's probably not going to be as bad as you think." Ray Perry added with a grin.

Trent Sawyer tried to hold back a laugh. "I hear it's real nice this time of year, too. Beautiful hiking trails, small lakes," he paused. "Or maybe that was in the summer."

"Think brass will let us stay an extra day or two? Maybe hit the slopes for fun?" Brock Reynolds joked as he imagined relaxing, just for a solid 24-hours. That's all he needed.

"Hardly. Brass doesn't want us in country longer than we have to be," Finally, Jason Hayes walked into the room. He knew what was on Bravo Three's mind, signed and added, "There's not likely to be much snow where we'll be, anyway."

"It ain't the snow that I'm talking 'bout. It's the cold. How it jus' sneaks up on ya. With no warning whatsoever. It takes different forms, then _bam_! it hits ya like a semi truck." Sonny told his brothers. "And if you put snow on top of that, then you're in for a bad time. Y'all must forget, I am from the south. _The. South._ We Southerners don't do cold. We barbecue at Christmas!"

"I think you're the only Southerner who doesn't like the cold, Son."

"And the only frogman who doesn't like water."

"Or the jungle."

"Or-"

"Har har har," Sonny mocked back. "Laugh now, but I'm tellin' ya, you can't prepare for something like this. So don't come at me when y'all can't handle it."

* * *

Their mission was to extract a person the CIA had been after for some time. However, it became a delicate situation as Nicoli Pev volunteered to give himself up in exchange for immunity in the US. Apparently his home country caught word of his plans to defect, and put out a hit worth millions on his head. The Army's 10th Mountain Division was not cut out for a mission such as this, so Bravo was called in. While they were up against the elements of nature, they also had to contend with a hit squad as well. Brass didn't want to take any chances in getting Pev, and his intel, on US soil safely.

No matter what Sonny said before they landed in country, Bravo Team was grateful for a break from the usual dust and sand environment. The white tipped mountain was a sight to behold from the bottom, but now a few hours in the team was beginning to feel nature's power increase.

The longer they walked, the colder it got. The higher they went, the thinner the air became. Even the SEALs, in their Tier One Operator health, struggled to keep a steady pace going as they got closer and closer to Pev's marked pos, which pushed near the top of the mountain. With ISR following their every move, and watching for any enemy forces that will want to cause problems for them, Jason called for a quick break in a small cluster of trees.

"HAVOC, this is One. How're we looking?" Jason says into his comms.

_"HAVOC to One, the surrounding area appears to be clear. At your current pace, you will reach the HVI's current pos by midday."_ Eric said from base.

"Copy that. One out," Hayes turns to his team, recognizes they are as rested as they will get. "Let's go."

The plan from the get-go was to arrive at the mountain before dawn. They would hike up to Pev's position halfway up the mountain, which was nothing more than a poorly built cabin he tossed together between a cluster of trees, according to Mandy's lengthy conversations with the man. Bravo was to arrive there by midday, secure Pev, hike toward the exfil point before dusk set in. This was far from a black op, but Brass still wanted no footprints left behind if they could help it.

A couple more hours passed before they finally reached the cabin. Bravo took cover and watch positions behind a couple of boulders while Jason contacts HAVOC.

"One to HAVOC, we've reached Winter Oak."

_"Copy. I'll make the call to Pev."_ Mandy Ellis says. A few minutes pass in thick silence before a small white cloth was stuck out the window and waved back and forth.

"HAVOC, I have eyes on. Standby," Jason said before turning to his team. "Sonny and Clay, go get the HVI. The rest of us will set up along this treeline, every ten meters."

While Sonny and Clay went for Pev, the rest of the team watched their six. The temperature dropped more and the wind picked up. Jason looked at the poorly made cabin, then out to the open mountain behind the cabin. He keyed his comms.

"One to Three. Give me a sitrep, over."

_"Three to One, our HVI has a lot of crap to pack. Over."_

Jason shook his head. "Hurry the hell up."

_"Copy that."_

_"Hey, boss, those clouds are pretty dark,"_ Ray said over the comms. Jason noticed this, which meant HAVOC likely did as well. _"We gotta get moving. Sooner, rather than later."_

Jason thought back to Mandy's brief about 'getting Pev and everything Pev has stored in that cabin', no matter how seemingly insignificant. Bravo wasn't read in on what made Pev so important, and Jason was far enough along his career as an operator to know better than to ask questions.

"Bravo Four," Jason said into the comms. He knew Trent took the position closest to the cabin, and would be able to lend a hand in getting the intel packed in a timely manner. "Go help Three and Six."

A quick "copy" reached his ear and soon Trent jogged across the small clearing to the cabin entrance, the team's eyes on his six. Not thirty seconds later, Sonny's voice came over the radio.

_"Ready to go, boss."_

Jason looked through his scope, saw the once green ground turn to stark white with snow. There was no movement in the distance, and except for the sound of the winds increasing, it was quiet. "Cleared to move."

Clay stepped out first, one of Pev's bags slung over his shoulder. His weapon was raised and he walked a few feet out before Sonny followed, his weapon raised in his right hand and his left gripped tightly on Pev's shoulder. Trent brought up the rear, a smaller bag of the HVI's in his right hand.

They just reached the middle of the small clearing when bullets peppered the ground around their feet.

**AN: Oh, look at that. My cliffhangers are back.**


	2. Winter's Edge

**AN: Y'all are so kind, even though I continue to write cliffhangers.**

2: Winter's Edge

As soon as the bullets bit at the frozen earth, all Bravo members ducked for cover. Clay and Trent returned fire while Sonny shoved Pev away and down behind a small boulder. The rest of Bravo gave Four and Six cover before their brothers scrambled backward and into the trees.

"One to HAVOC, we have troops in contact!" Jason yelled as he returned fire. "Where the hell did they come from?!"

_"Unclear, Bravo One. A new snowstorm in the region just blew in that wasn't on our radar. We've lost ISR,"_ said Blackburn. _"You need to get to exfil before it's too dangerous to take off."_

"Copy that," Jason changed out his mag, and the game plan. "Two, take point to exfil. Three and Five, you've got the HVI. Four and Six, you've still got the intel and I'll bring up the rear."

Once everyone was ready, save for Pev who wanted to carry his own gear, not trusting the Americans to protect it, they set to move.

With cover fire laid down, Ray led the group toward exfil as the storm around them builds. Sonny and Brock followed with a tighter grip on Pev. Clay and Trent, once they were sure that Jason had cover of his own, fell in line with their leader on their heels.

Bravo jogged through the mountainside in silence with the HVI. The gunfire no longer echoed in their ears as the sound was replaced with the howling wind. It was darker now, the clouds above them filled with more snow that threatened to pick up at any moment. This is how they proceeded for a while, until Ray spoke up.

"Hold, hold," Ray said as he took a knee in a pile of snow. He sighed, watched the sight before him. "Boss, we gotta big problem."

Jason walked toward the front of the group and his eyes fell on what Ray saw. "Shit."

A small army, around fifteen to twenty fighting aged males armed to the nines, were set up in a camp along their path to exfil. Being at least six klicks from their exfil location, it was unlikely the enemy knew about the American presence close to them, even with the gunfire that sounded not all that long ago. Jason didn't want to risk that changing.

"There's too many to fight and the storm is picking up," Jason said, noting that the camp also made it hard to take out enough tango with their weapons. He pulled out his map and held it tight as the wind hit him. "We'll go around, along this cliff face."

"That adds, what, another klick to our hike. Is exfil gonna wait for us?" asked Clay. Everyone was thinking it, but Bravo Six was the only one who voiced the question. And it wasn't really wondering _if_ exfil was going to wait for them so much as it was a matter of _could_ exfil wait for them.

Jason walked a few yards away from the group, mostly so Pev wouldn't hear his exchange, but also so he could think. He then filled base in on his plan and waited for an update on the situation on that side.

_"The storm will get stronger in what we estimate to be about an hour. Exfil can spare fifteen mikes on top of what you already have, before they risk getting caught in the storm."_ Blackburn said.

Jason ran a gloved hand down his face, eyed his team hidden in the thick green and white trees. "Copy. We're going around."

Soon they were moving again. Taking the long way around a fighting force had its advantages, but there were also disadvantages. The cliff face was not steep enough to warrant the climbing gear that everyone packed as a precaution, but it caused enough problems that they had to go one or two at a time before they reached the ledge that was about a hundred yards up.

At this altitude, the snow was mixed with ice and steps had to be taken with great care. Ray went first, pointed out any slick spots as best he could, and kept going. Once he was clear at the top, Two noted a large cornice above the team. They needed to be mindful of it as they ascended the path, even though it was around two klicks above them. After he was set in a watch position, Ray called for Sonny to head up next.

The path itself appeared to be wider than it actually was. What appeared to be solid ground was nothing more than a pile of rocks that crumbled over the edge when Three took a wrong step. Sonny got halfway up the path and found a few more slick spots before he finally reached the top. He added mountain climbing to his list of things he hated.

"Five, let's go," said Jason over his shoulder. The sooner their HVI was up the cliff, the sooner they could pick up the pace and reach exfil before the already thick snowfall got any heavier.

Brock clasped his left hand tight around Pev's jacket collar and urged him forward. Pev wasn't having it, shaking his head and muttering something in Russian. Clay shouted something back, also in Russian, and the HVI slammed his dry lips shut long enough for him and Brock to get halfway up the path. It was at this moment the informant's fear of heights grew and nearly pulled him and Brock over the edge when the HVI grabbed onto an exposed vine upon seeing how far below the frozen lake was.

Most of the root was stuck in the earth, but the force behind Pev's frantic tug was just enough to loosen some dirt above them. The dirt turned into a mound of snow, sticks and rocks as it poured over the side of the cliff, hitting the men as gravity pulled it over.

Brock pushed Pev forward, turned his head so he wouldn't choke on the building dust in the thin air. He could only hope that he didn't slip on the icy rocks Ray marked earlier as he dodged rocks the size of his head. Just when it appeared that Five and the HVI wouldn't make it topside, two sets of hands pulled the men to safety.

"Bravo Five, you good?" someone asked through comms. Brock, sucking in deep breaths of air as he scowled at a hyperventilating Pev, managed to give a thumbs up.

"I'm fine," Brock forced out as he rolled his aching shoulder and stood.

Back down at the bottom of the path, Jason, Trent and Clay reassessed the situation. From their position, they could see the path was now covered with more debris than when the other half of the team ascended. Time was ticking down and there was no other way to get to the top of the cliff, so they pressed forward right as the snow began to fall in thick flurries.

"Six, go," Jason said after Ray gave the all clear.

Clay adjusted the bag over his shoulder as he started up the compromised path. There was no way to see the rocks Ray pointed out before, and the fresh snow and dirt was all but settled. Each step he took sent rocks or stick over the edge to his left, just as it had with Sonny. It took all of his focus to not look at the landscape below.

Bravo Six was only a third of the way up the path when shots rang out behind him again. He spared a glance over his left shoulder, saw the small army of enemy converging on their position, guns blazing in the echoing mountain air.

In front of him, Spenser could see Sonny and Ray giving their brothers at the bottom of the path cover fire. The snowfall was heavy and Six could barely make out the image of Trent and Jason walking backward up the path as best they could, managing to return fire as they did.

Since the path was too narrow for Clay to turn around and offer assistance, he quickened his pace as much as he dared, intent on getting off of the path so Jason and Trent could get to the top as well.

He was no more than thirty feet away from Sonny's position at the top of the cliff when a loud booming sound reverberated in his core. Clay fell to his knees, his left leg slipped over the edge of the path as the ground shook. The gunfire was soon drowned out by the sound of the wind picking up, just as the cornice above them shattered.

Clay looked up and saw a white cascade of snow barreling down toward him, but there was no way to escape its path. It roared as it tumbled down the mountainside, as it crashed into trees, cutting down everything in its path.

He felt the wall of snow slam into his body, felt himself being pulled down and over the edge of the cliff. He knows he tumbled and rolled and was flipped end over end, but by the time all of this actually registered, Clay finally blacked out.

* * *

Ray and Sonny watched as the snow crashed into Jason, Trent and Clay, before it pulled the three men over the edge. Brock, being the furthest away as he watched Pev, now looked at the empty path with wide eyes as he walked over to the cliff. Only a second passed before the sound of gunfire picked up, the ping of bullets hitting trees and of Pev screaming as he scrambled for some sort of cover, brought the men back to the fight at hand.

The enemies number dwindled with each well placed shot by Two, Three and Five, but the fight seemed to drag on. The snow got thicker, the wind blew stronger and the temperature got colder. The SEALs didn't let up, and eventually, silence washed over the area.

"Three, Five, y'all good?" asked Ray as he stood up and looked at his brothers. He wavered slightly as Sonny pushed past the 2IC and peered over the side of the cliff. "Bravo Three-"

"Where the hell'd they go?"

"Son-"

"No. We gotta go look for them. Tie _that_-" Sonny pointed to Pev, "to a tree and let's go find them."

Ray sighed. He knew the mission was to get Pev to the US, but there was no way in hell he'd leave after watching an avalanche swallow his brothers. Two was about to radio HAVOC to discuss plans when a strange sound reached their ears. Sonny and Ray got down on their stomachs and looked down, searching for the sound of the noise. It took a few precious minutes, but the finally spotted him.

There, perched on a small outcropping, was Jason.

"Bravo One, radio check," Ray said into comms, realizing that Jason was too far down to hear anything over the howling wind. "Bravo One?"

_"I read you... Lima Charlie,"_

"Thank God, brother. You all right?"

_"Maybe,"_ There was a long pause that Ray didn't like, but Jason continued, _"Probably not. Can't tell."_

"Okay, just hang tight, we'll work the problem and-"

_"You gotta... get Trent and Clay,"_ Jason said, cutting off Ray with a sharp but slightly worried voice. _"They were pushed further out than I was."_

Sonny took out his binoculars, scanned the area around Jason. With the thick treeline from his position and the heavy snowfall, he couldn't see much. He shook his head.

"We can't see them from up here," said Ray. "You got eyes on?"

Jason coughed into the comms. Ray heard him wince, too, before their leader spoke the words that sent chills down their spines.

_"They're… they're on the lake."_

**AN: Thanks for following and reading!**


	3. Winter's Hold

**Thank you all for you kind words. With school starting back for me on Monday, I won't be working on my fics as much. But, since I'm not taking as many hours this semester, I think I'll be able to update a story every now and then for the duration. In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think.**

3: Winter's Hold

When Trent's world stopped spinning, it took a few moments for him to gather his bearings. He was cold. Really cold. And it was hard to move. But then he realized that it was because of the snow that was piled on top of his legs and waist, numbing his lower limbs in more ways than one. Sawyer took a steady breath and worked to push the snow off of his body, but when a sharp cracking sound echoed in his ears, he stopped.

From his position, sprawled on his right side under what had to be at least a couple of feet of snow and debris, Trent could barely see that he was on the frozen lake Bravo was crossing. Through the heavy snowfall, he could see he was about thirty feet from the snow capped banks. This, however troubling, was not his most pressing concern.

Not even ten feet in front of him, lay a very still Clay.

"Bravo Six," Trent said into his comms, not sure if Clay would be able to hear him if he yelled his name into the wind. "Bravo Six? Clay?"

There was a moan, carried to Trent's ears by the howling wind, followed by the cracking of ice as Clay moved slightly. The snowfall was just heavy enough to make it hard to see where the cracks were appearing, but they sounded too close for comfort and Trent didn't want any more surprises.

"Clay, don't move. You hear me?" Trent waited a few seconds before he added, "We're on the lake and the ice is cracking. Just… sit still. You hurt?"

_"...yes,"_ said Clay over comms as more ice cracked.

"Can you tell where?"

A lengthy pause. _"L-legs..."_

The comms cut out.

"Dammit, Spenser, keep talking to me," said Trent as he tried to figure out how to get to his brother. "Where else are y-"

The prior warnings of the ice wasn't enough to prepare Trent for the pain that followed his being submerged in sub zero temperature waters. His training in the Navy couldn't prevent him from opening his mouth out of shock as his body reacted to the sudden change.

Sawyer gasped as water rushed into his mouth, as it closed over and around him like a vice, holding him tight while pulling the air from his lungs. The saying that falling in a frozen lake feels like you are being stabbed by countless knives rang true in Trent's mind. Even as he sank and fought to determine which way was _straight_ up and not up and over to a section of lake where the ice hadn't broken, that pain was at the forefront. He fought to reach the surface that appeared to be so far away. In the back of his mind, he knew he hadn't been under for very long, but darkness worked its way around the edges of his vision regardless. Pushing aside all of the pain he felt in his body, Trent propelled himself up and up until his head broke the surface of the small waves.

Coughing and spitting out water, trying desperately to switch out the water in his lungs for much needed air, Bravo Four looked around once more as he clung to a sheet of nearby ice. His teeth chattered and snow began to blanket his wet face. Or maybe it was the water already freezing in the cold, open air. He couldn't tell, tried to focus on slow, steady breaths.

When he managed to do that much, Four spotted something that would haunt his memories for a long time.

Since he fell through the ice, the surrounding area had crumbled like dominoes and floated around him aimlessly. Ahead of him, Clay bobbed up and down in the waves that lapped in the increasing winds. He was face down. Without thinking, Trent pushed off over the ice and swam the few yards over to his brother with small strokes before he was able to reach him and pull him to his chest.

"C-Clay," Trent forced out between chattering teeth. He reached up, tried to locate Six's pulse, but he couldn't feel his own fingers.

This was bad.

Facts about hypothermia bubbled through Bravo Four's mind like molasses. The one that was most pressing to him and Clay at the moment was that he had less than ten minutes to get out of the water before they began to lose function in their muscles.

He had to get them out.

Now that he had a hold of Spenser, Trent worked on getting them both back atop the ice. The wind increased, causing the large snowflakes to hit them at an angle, whiting out anything and everything on their right side. The storm was getting worse.

Trent tried to wake Spenser, tried to get the kid to pull himself up and out of the waters grip, but it was fruitless. The kid was out like a light. This left Sawyer to figure out a way to get Clay, and then himself, out of the water. But time was not on their side.

The first few attempts saw the thin ice break each time Trent pushed Clay out of the water and the process threatened to carry the SEALs further away from the bank. Somehow, an exhausted Trent managed to get Clay's torso up and out of the water as the fridge air continued to suck the strength from his body. Trent pushed Clay further onto the ice. The ice cracked again, but it held Clay's weight.

Barely.

It was at this moment that a new sound reached Trent's ears. It wasn't the howling wind, or the water that licked at him and Clay. No, this was different and a bit muted. Through cracked eyes that desperately wanted to close, he saw five figures on the bank of the lake. This is when the sounds cleared up.

_"...us, Bravo Four? Four? Six?"_ that was the sound of his brothers, but Trent couldn't tell who it was. Frankly, it didn't matter to him at this point. _"Four?"_

Trent had to work to get his brain and mouth on the same page. It took a few seconds, but he managed to say as loud as he could, "Y-yeah,"

_"Oh, thank God. Hang on, we're gonna get y'all out!"_

So he did.

Part of it was due to the fact he was now mostly frozen to the ice, but also because he knew the rest of Bravo was close. Trent turned his focus to the sound of Clay breathing in front of him, focused on how Spenser was all too, how he still had one leg in the water. Four could tell Six's breathing was low and wet, much like his own. Even with the wind, Trent could hear it just enough to where it acted like his lifeline.

Because it was.

Movement in front of him brought his drifting mind back to the problem at hand. At first, he didn't see anything, then it happened again. There, just a few inches from his numb fingers, was a black rope.

_"Four,"_

Trent could only stare at the puzzling image before him. The dark color stood out against the whiteness of the ice and snow, but the pace of the snowfall obscured the rope quickly. When the voices of his brothers reached his ears, things became more clear.

_"...the rope."_

_"...yourself and Six, then…"_

The words they spoke, he heard them, but they weren't making sense. Trent blinked, tried to figure out what he was supposed to do with the rope. He blinked again and the rope was gone.

Well, shit.

When he blinked after that, the rope was now draped over his right arm. And it had a partner.

_"C'mon, Four, grab the ropes."_

This time, the voices sounded like his brothers were right there in the waters with him. He heard what they said.

But he was so cold.

Trent pulled on his arm as hard as he could, worked to remove his frozen clothes from the ice so he could slip the knot around Clay. The ice he was attached to cracked beneath the change in pressure and he dipped under again, but he still had the rope, still had a grip on Clay. Now freed, Trent slowly slid the rope under Clay's arm and over his head as best he could manage before giving it a tug.

He watched as Clay was carefully, but quickly, pulled from the water and across the ice. He watched as his brother was pulled onto the bank and into the arms of the rest of his brothers.

_"Okay, brother, your turn."_

Bravo's voices were still clear, and Trent really couldn't figure out if that was a good sign or not. Regardless, he listened, followed their instructions again. No matter how difficult. He couldn't feel his fingers, couldn't even get them to work. Somehow, he got the rope around Clay. Surely he could do it again.

_"Four?"_

His movements were slow. He didn't have the strength anymore. Darkness was closing around his vision as the water threatened to pull the SEAL under one, final time.

_"FOUR!"_

With one more surge of strength, Trent slid his wrist through the hole, and gave a small tug. He didn't feel the rope as it tightened around his arm, didn't feel his body being pulled from the water or across the frozen surface. He didn't feel three sets of hands pull him up onto the back and lay him one his back.

When his world stopped moving, Trent's eyes finally closed.

**AN: Yes, I know what you're gonna say. But I struggle *not* writing cliffhangers, so, yep. And chapter 4 is giving me the blues...but I've got something down I think will work out well. Til next time!**


	4. Winter's Ransom

**So, I'm still kicking. Just super stressed about school and 'y'all know what'. But I get a two week spring break while my university tries to get things figured out so that means I get to write fanfiction as a means of coping. *dry laugh* Thanks for the love and sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

4: Winter's Ransom:

_"They're on the lake."_

Everything that happened after Jason told them Trent and Clay were pushed out onto the frozen lake happened in a snow covered blur. As the storm continued to get worse, half of Bravo was forced to divide and conquer if they wanted even a small chance to survive.

Sonny, much to his dismay, was tasked with watching Pev. Ray's reason was that the Russian was afraid of the Texan, but Quinn didn't believe that for a minute. Brock got on with HAVOC and worked on finding a spot where they could bed down and ride out the storm. This left Ray to figure out how to get Jason off the outcropping. Then they could figure out how to get to Trent and Clay.

Jason was around thirty feet below them, perched on an outcropping that was half his height. Because of the angle of the clifface, Ray would not be able to pull Jason up to them. Coupled with the fact that they all had to find their way down, Perry decided that it would be best to lower Hayes down to the bottom, which looked farther than it actually was.

Ray had Sonny take Pev to the bottom of a cliff, using a path he spotted during the firefight. He and Brock would send a line down to Jason, who seemed clear headed enough to hook himself up, then they would use the path to get to the bottom and join their brothers. Once Jason was on the line, Two and Five steadily lowered their leader down until Sonny radioed that he was safe on the ground.

"HAVOC is still looking for shelter," Brock yelled over the howl of the wind. He and the rest of the group walked along the back, searching the frozen surface of the lake for any indicator of their missing brothers. "Said there's supposed to be a series of caves around here. They just don't know where."

Jason, leaning against Brock as he walked through the pain that ran through his bones, could only nod. He pointed to a general area where he was sure he saw Trent and Clay, then said, "They should be right around here,"

Even through the falling snow, even with how it made everything white, Bravo could still see the outline of the lake. They were about ten feet up the bank, hidden fairly well in the treeline and protected from the heavy snowfall, but not the cold. Even with this decent view, there was still one glaring problem...

They didn't see Trent or Clay.

_"HAVOC base to any Bravo element, come in,"_ said Eric over the comms.

"Go for Bravo Five," said Brock, as Ray tended to Jason, and Sonny watched Pev.

_"The caves are too far from your current pos, but we've found what appears to be a series of abandoned cabins," _said Eric._ "Could have been a failed attempt at a resort spot in the area."_

Sonny scoffed. "Guess they realized this ain't the best location to 'get away' like they thought,"

"Copy, HAVOC." said Brock. "Boss?"

Jason looked at Bravo Five. There was a hint of pain that crossed his face, but for the most part, he appeared to be unharmed. "We'll make it work."

Brock had just gotten the coordinates from HAVOC when movement in his peripheral vision made him look up. There, across the sheet of ice that covered frozen waters, barely seen through the blinding snow, was his brother. He couldn't tell who it was, but that didn't matter at that point. He called for the rest of Bravo and pointed toward what he saw.

"Who is it?"

"I can't tell," said Ray. He peered through his binoculars, tried to get a better look as a plan slowly formed in his head. "It's them. One of 'em is on top of the ice and the other-"

"'The other' what? What is it?" asked Sonny.

"He's still in the water." said Ray.

"Okay, it's been how long since the avalanche? Four, five minutes? And we don't know how long they've actually been in the water," asked Brock. "They could have less than five minutes before things start to get worse."

Ray shrugged off his bag and tossed a few items onto the ground. Then he grabbed Jason's and repeated his actions until he had what he needed. "We gotta get their attention. Get them to wrap this rope around themselves so we can pull them out." he said as he tied loops and knots into two ends of the rope.

Bravo yelled and loud as they dared, tried to get their brothers attention. The seconds turned into nearly two minutes when Jason called for them to stop before more hostels caught wind of their location.

"Can't I just... carefully crawl out there and loop it on 'em?" Sonny was irritated and pissed off. They were running out of time, in more ways than one, and he felt helpless. "We can't just sit here and do nothing."

"You're too heavy," Ray shook his head. "Can't risk sending anyone out on that ice anyway. The slightest change in pressure on it could do more harm than good. And the current could just drag you under."

"I'll do it," said Brock as he stepped forward. "I'm a strong swimmer and-"

"No. We don't know-"

"What we do know is our brothers are freezing to death not twenty yards from us and we're sitting on our asses doing nothing!"

"Enough!" Jason stood between his brothers as he defused the situation. "They need us to get them out, not over here fighting each other. Ray's right. We keep trying to get their attention because that is the only play we have."

So they tried again.

No one knew how much time passed. They kept tossing the ropes out to the unresponsive men, continued to call out their names. Just before any more hope could be lost, one of their brothers moved.

And their world sped up.

It did not take them long to determine that it was Clay on top of the ice while Trent was still held in the water's grip. When they finally got Trent's attention, they watched as their medic managed to hook their kid up to one of the ropes. It was slow going. Someone walked Trent through on what to do, while the others prepared to pull them to shore. Eventually, Spenser was safely on the line and the men carefully pulled him on the bank.

Getting Trent to grab the line was easier said than done. With Brock and Ray on the other end of the rope, Jason could tell that Bravo Four was struggling to follow their instructions. He watched through binoculars as Trent missed the rope that was thrown at him, how his eyes stayed closed longer and longer each time he blinked.

On what had to be Ray's fifth toss of the rope, Jason watched as Trent grabbed the line, and slid his hand through the small hole. With a small tug, the loop tightened around his arm and the men pulled him to shore.

"Status?" asked Jason as Brock pulled Trent up onto the snow packed bank.

"Don't know. We gotta get to those cabins yesterday." said Brock as he did his best to wrap Trent in an emergency blanket.

"Three, lead the way."

With his weapon aimed at Pev, Sonny helped Brock lead a barely conscious Trent toward the location of the supposed cabins. Behind them, Jason and Ray carried an unconscious Clay between them.

No one knew what to expect upon reaching their shelter. The only description HAVOC could scramble together is that there was a small cluster of buildings, no more than ten, that appeared to be abandoned. When Bravo arrived, they confirmed that the area was, in fact, a ghost town.

Ray and Brock paired up to clear all of the small buildings. After a few minutes of checking those and the surrounding area best they could, Ray deemed it clear enough to move forward. He chose a cabin that was in the best shape structure wise and one they could easily defend from most sides, should the enemy locate them. If Perry had his way, they'd be back in Virginia Beach before that could happen.

"Bravo One to HAVOC,"

_"Go for HAVOC,"_

Jason winced as he took a seat on a fairly stable chair, his ribs protesting the movement. "ETA on our exfil?"

_"The storm is holding steady right now, One." _said Blackburn._ "Appears it won't pass til morning, at the latest."_

"That doesn't answer my question, Eric."

There was a pause before Eric replied, _"The situation on the ground is changing. Break, how're the guys?"_

Jason looked at his team, his brothers. He thought about how he felt and tried to determine his own injuries, but the only thing on his mind right now was whether Trent and Clay would survive.

"Just… get us that exfil, Eric. Please."

**Would y'all say this is a cliffhanger? I don't think so, but if it is, its really mild, compared to what I've done to y'all in the past. :)**

**Also, have y'all seen the cast/crews IG posts lately? We're getting a snowy(ish) eppy and I'M SO EFFIN EXCITED!  
**


	5. Winter's Release

5: Winter's Release

Master Chief Jason Hayes could not, for the life of him, remember the last time he was this cold. Moments of training during BUD/S, a few of his earlier missions running with Bravo crossed his fuzzy mind, but no memory stuck out in comparison to what he faced right now.

From his spot on the plastic covered couch, Bravo One forced his brain to take stock of the situation. He was sure he had a concussion of some degree, his fingers numb at the tips and his teeth wouldn't stop chattering against each other. But none of that mattered. Positive that he wouldn't succumb to any injuries right away, he looked at each member of his team, pushed past the pain in his head.

Sonny had long since shoved Pev into a corner out of harms way but still in everyone's line of sight by an empty bookshelf. The Texan walked a bit stiff, Jason slowly noted, but for the most part, he appeared to be okay.

Someone was shifting through Jason's bag like a madman. Hayes realized Ray was stacking a pile of extra emergency blankets, as well as medical supplies. Eventually, Bravo Two himself looked up and over to the other side of the room like the snow flurries that raged outside. Jason blinked once and Perry was back to shifting through the bags, but in the next moment, he was gone. That sent a pang of worry through his chest as, Jason finally noticed, Brock was nowhere to be seen.

Before he could begin to worry about Bravo Five, his tired eyes fell on a sight that would likely haunt his dreams for a long time.

From his position on the couch Jason could see two figures sprawled on the floor, small piles of ice and snow rested in water that didn't have time to puddle completely. Their gear was discarded, and it appeared someone had already gone through them in an attempt to salvage what they could. And the SEALs themselves…

Trent. Clay.

_Oh, God, please no._

The man on the left had been laid on the ground and so far only stripped of his gear. He was laying on his side with his head tilted forward at a slight angle. The man on the right, already stripped of his wet clothes that were piled off to the side, was wrapped tightly in blankets. Neither of them moved that Jason could see.

Movement across his field of vision drew Jason away from his analysis of his brothers. Sonny, carrying what had to be an armful of bedding and other random cloths skidded to a halt before dropping to his knees beside the man on the left.

Jason couldn't hear what Bravo Three was saying, so instead he watched. The way Sonny would remove shoes or an article of clothing and quickly replace it with a blanket after drying up the water, ice or snow. What was odd, Jason thought, is how Sonny would pause every few seconds, glancing up slightly. Once all of their brother's wet clothes were discarded to the side, Sonny carefully rolled him onto his side layed another blanket on a dry spot on the ground before laying him back down.

A series of coughs forced Jason to look away as he fought to catch his breath. After that, he looked up and could finally see the messy mop of hair.

"Wha-" Jason started, only to be cut off.

"Here," Ray tossed Jason a couple of blankets. "Wrap up."

With sluggish movements, Jason did as he was told, but his eyes never left his brothers. "Ray-"

"Come on, brother," Jason stood with Ray's help but couldn't stifle a wince of pain. At Perry's worried look, Jason just pointed to his ribs but kept walking. "Sit."

"Where's Brock?" Jason asked before Ray could walk away.

"He went to double check our tracks, make sure we covered 'em."

"Alone?" Jason stood up in a hurry, ignoring the way his world suddenly swam and shifted, or how much his ribs ached. "Dammit, Ray, we're in the middle of a snowstorm, with enemy on our tails and you send-" he coughs again, wheezing as he folds over. "You sent him out there alone? How could-"

"I didn't want to, but it was the only call I could make. If they find us, we'd be dead before exfil arrives," Ray said, understanding Jason's frustration with the weight of such a call. "Sit down. We'll get a fire going soon."

Jason watched Ray leave, waited for the pain in his chest to subside. From his seated position, he now had a better view of what Bravo was currently dealing with. And it was not a pretty sight.

Brock was somewhere out in the blizzard, doing God knows what to make sure they weren't found before help could arrive. Ray didn't elaborate on what Five was up to, but said he should be back soon.

Ray determined Jason had a concussion, but could not gauge the severity of it. A couple of his ribs were likely bruised, maybe fractured. Then there was the cold that was working its way into his bones.

"Okay, I got that," Jason heard Sonny say. "Now what?"

Jason looked up, saw Sonny finish wrapping Clay in blankets. He was confused for a moment as Quinn paused, did something, and asked another question. But Ray was nowhere near Bravo Three. When movement to his right caused him to shift his gaze slightly to get a full picture, Hayes noticed, for what felt like the first time, Trent.

Bravo Four was only a few feet away from Sonny and Clay's position, but to Jason it might as well have been a few hundred miles. Even buried beneath a pile of blankets, Trent was hardly recognizable, barely seen between a separation of fabric that covered most of his face. But before One could think to ask if their medic was even remotely okay, the front door of the cabin slammed open, blowing in flurries and a snow covered Brock.

"Brock," Ray was quick to appear by the door as his brother shook snow from his clothes. "What's the word?"

"Winds have picked up a lot, covered our path like nothing. It should be safe enough to start a fire." said Brock as he ran his hands through his hair. "Any changes?"

Ray shook his head. "Trent's been semi conscious for awhile. Comms were spotty for a bit so Sonny got Four to talk him through hypothermia protocol."

"I don't think I'ma get much more out of him, guys," Sonny said as he stood. He walked over to where Ray and Brock were standing. "He's wiped. And Clay still ain't woken up."

"We gotta get a fire built, get them warmed up before it gets worse." said Ray. He looked at Jason while Sonny and Brock got to work on building the fire. He didn't like the way Jason's gaze slowly shifted around the room. This was, what? His fourth concussion? Fifth?

"Ray, where's-" Jason began. Ray watched the way his brother, his best friend, rubbed his head in pain. How he struggled to find words. "Have you seen Brock? Why isn't… how come he's not here?"

Ray's worried eyes met Brock's from across the room. The silence between them spoke volumes. "He's just building a fire for us, Jase. Just hang tight, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Hang tight, copy that."

#

It did not take long to get the fire going, but it seemed like an eternity passed before warmth trickled into the room. With Pev still cowering in the corner, the able-bodied SEALs took turns watching over their injured brothers while they awaited exfil.

Sonny talked to Clay, who stirred every now and then but failed to wake up. Brock kept careful watch over Trent and Jason, while Ray stood watch near the front door. All the while, the store beyond the walls continued to grow with a fury.

Ray kept careful track of the time as it passed and as late evening turned into morning, Trent and Clay continued to hold on. He knew it was because of the care Three and Five have put in tirelessly. He couldn't help but think about the jokes that will come of this once Clay and Trent realize the measures Sonny and Brock took to warm them up.

It was just before dawn when their comms cracked to life. A chopper was less than three mikes out from their exfil point - an open field that was, thankfully, just a half klick from their current pos. There was a break in the storm and Blackburn informed the men that it would not last long. It was now or never.

In record time the men were ready to roll. Ray and Jason led them out into the open with Pev walking closely behind them. Brock and Sonny shouldered Trent and Clay without a word. As the fading storm still produced a decent snowfall, their movements were slow going.

Clay was more or less awake but Sonny struggled to guide his brother through the deep snow banks that stretched past their knees. Brock was doing the best he could, considering the fact that Trent was still unconscious - a fact that worried him more than he voiced. With his brother over his shoulders, Bravo Five pushed himself to keep the pace that Ray and a confused Jason made. Even with their struggles, they made it to the clearing, saw the chopper hovering above the ground, just before bullets peppered the area around them.

"Contact rear," Ray shouted as he shoved Jason behind a tree. He returned fire toward the area he saw muzzle flashes, which was all he could manage in the near blinding snow. "Get them on board, now!"

Sonny tightened his already firm grasp on Clay, cursed to high heaven as he watched Pev all but dive into the safety of the chopper. Keeping themselves low, he ran as fast as he could and guided Clay into the chopper.

Time appeared to move slow, but they all knew that was impossible. Bullets continued to whiz by as the SEALs made their way to the waiting chopper. Support gave them cover and one by one they piled into the bird, until all seven men were safely aboard. Someone shouted for the pilot to get the hell out of dodge and soon they were in the air, heading to safety.

"Next time brass says there's a mountain op, I'm callin' in sick," said Sonny as he got situated for the ride.

#

After nine days of warmth related activities, therapies and medicines, Bravo was back in business. Trent and Clay were treated for severe cases of hypothermia; the doctors said if they were out there any longer, recovery would have pushed near impossible. Jason, once again, suffered a concussion, but with time he would recover. The others were treated for mild hypothermia and the usual scrapes or bruises. Pev, once Mandy got a hold of him, turned into a shell of his former self. Nearly dying, it seemed, did that to a person.

When they finally got the all clear from their doctors, Bravo gathered in the briefing room, took their usual seats and waited for Blackburn to get started. There was the obligatory rundown of the country, persons of interest, and their objective. But as soon as a map of the region made its way to the forefront of the screen, something changed.

Jason didn't miss the face Sonny made. Trent raised a brow when the Texan shifted in his seat. Clay and Brock tried to stifle a laugh right as Ray asked, "The hell, Sonny?"

Quinn leaned forward in his chair, took off his hat and rubbed his head. "I think I'm comin' down with something," he coughed into his shoulder and turned toward Trent. "Think I got a fever or somethin'. Trent?"

"He's fine," Sawyer said, looking at a confused Blackburn.

"No, seriously. I've had this cough all weekend, and it's kinda hard to breath sometimes," said Sonny. "Y'all heard 'bout that virus goin' on out West, right? Maybe I got it."

"Oh, my god," muttered Clay.

"The mountains aren't gonna kill you, Sonny," Brock said with a chuckle. "There isn't even snow this time."

"You'll be fine," added Jason, who was waiting for Eric to get back to the brief. "Nice try, though."

Sonny sat back and folded his arms, wishing he had come up with a different way to get out of going to a cold weather op. He really should have researched those symptoms a bit more.

**AN: Surprise! I know, long time no post. I lost inspiration for this tbh, then it kinda hit me out of nowhere, so I was able to finish it out. I've scaled back my FF writing because I'm really focusing on my original works, but that doesn't mean I'm riding off into the sunset. I have a lot of things planned that I really want to share with you all. Until next time! *peace***


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